Business and NGOs are seen by many to be locked in a perpetual war of values and ideologies. What this book demonstrates is that the war has moved on. Many companies are now engaging with their stakeholders - even those with which they have traditionally had antagonistic relationships - as part of their strategies for improved social and environmental performance. With contributions from an outstanding and diverse group of experts from business, consultancy, research institutes, NGOs and academia, Terms for Endearment investigates the how and why of these new collaborations and provides concrete examples of business working with stakeholder pressure for sustainable development. The book forcibly argues the notion of organizations of civil society setting the standards for business behaviour in the 21st century. For those companies that choose not to pursue high standards of social and environmental performance, confrontation with NGOs must be expected, with negative consequences for sales, costs and social capital, i.e. the bottom line. Terms for Endearment therefore presents business with both a threat and opportunity as we move closer to establishing a social basis for global economic activity.

Business and NGOs are seen by many to be locked in a perpetual war of values and ideologies. What this book demonstrates is that the war has moved on. "Terms for Endearment breaks the mould." Anita Roddick "a true treasure chest" Georg Kell
Reviews
Terms for Endearment is useful for the essential task of achieving a better understanding of where power lies and what drives NGOs, businesses and the political process. - Caspar Henderson, The Ecologist || Reading this book will not guarantee you success. But it will give you a better insight into the dynamics at work. Partnership, dialogue, and engagement are the sexy words of the moment, and good fodder for a future library of books to follow. - Suzannah Lansdell, Elements (The Environment Council, UK) || ... it provides meaty evidence of the evolving relationship between businesses and the societies in which they operate. Informative and well-argued. - Community Affairs Briefing || The contributing editor should be commended highly for his contributions ... I find the text informative and the writing very accessible ... it should be a library source for societal, environmental and ethical accounting and management courses. - Social and Environmental Accounting || With increased attention being paid to both corporate responsibility and global civil society, a collection that examines the interaction between the two is particularly timely. Terms for Endearment should be notable for both practitioners and analysts of business/NGO relations. - Environment magazine || With contributions form a diverse group of experts from business, consultancy, research institutes, NGOs and academia, Terms for Endearment investigates the how and why of these new collaborations and provides concrete examples of business working with stakeholder pressure for sustainable development [and] therefore presents business with both a threat and opportunity as we move closer to establishing a social basis for global economic activity. - Connections - UNED Forum Quarterly Newsletter || ... the book is a must-read for those who champion corporate responsibility and wish to truly engage with stakeholders. - Sustain magazine || Terms for Endearment is an interesting and groundbreaking book, bringing new voices to the debate on the future of business. - Scottish Environmental Protection Agency



Book Information
ISBN 9781874719281
Author Jem Bendell
Format Hardback
Page Count 280
Imprint Greenleaf Publishing
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g